Reinventing the Curriculum

As Priestley and Biesta note, there is currently something of a renaissance of interest in curriculum – and this volume makes a very fine contribution to that discussion. The book examines carefully but provocatively many of the features and tensions flagged in current curriculum reforms internationally – the concerns about more child-centred and active learning; the active role of the teacher; the aim to build particular types of individuals for the 21st century; the policy concerns with economics and measurement. This is an important, provocative and beautifully readable collection.

As Priestley and Biesta note, there is currently something of a renaissance of interest in curriculum – and this volume makes a very fine contribution to that discussion. The book examines carefully but provocatively many of the features and tensions flagged in current curriculum reforms internationally – the concerns about more child-centred and active learning; the active role of the teacher; the aim to build particular types of individuals for the 21st century; the policy concerns with economics and measurement. This is an important, provocative and beautifully readable collection.

This book marks a distinct turn in substantive books about curriculum – it moves us from a generation of books about competing models of curriculum design to a more intense, empirical and grounded account of Scotland’s ground breaking Curriculum for Excellence. In addition it provides both fascinating international comparisons and significant critique of some popular curriculum concepts – this book has a razor sharp edge and cannot be read without being forced to re-examine many comfortable assumptions about curricula around the world.

Reinventing the Curriculum provides an up-to-date and valuable text for those interested in trends in curriculum policy and practice and the ever accompanying tensions and contradictions in curricular conversations. The book provides a much appreciated analysis of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence and places the Scottish approach in a more international perspective. The authors successfully encourage the reader to become critically engaged with the direction of curriculum for the 21st century.

Reinventing the Curriculum is an essential text for all curriculum scholars and teachers who wish to understand and explore 21st century curriculum making. Grounded in a case study of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence and against the backdrop of international trends, the authors present a critical analysis of the educational legitimacy, purpose and value of current initiatives. In doing so, they remoralize, repoliticize and revitalize conversations about curriculum development.

Mark Priestley is Professor of Education at the University of Stirling, UK. He is a member of the Council of the British Educational Research Association.

Gert Biesta is part-time Professor of Education, Brunel University London, UK, and Visiting Professor (Art Education) at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, the Netherlands. He is editor-in-chief of Studies in Philosophy and Education .